Sleeping Snape
by OZ Angel
Summary: A different spin on Sleeping Beauty Complete


Disclaimer: These are J.K's toys. I am just borrowing them for a while. I promise to put them away when I'm finished.  
  
Sleeping Snape  
  
Once upon a time in a magic castle there lived a very bitter, cynical and sarcastic man by the name of Severus Snape. Severus was a Potions Master who tried in vain to instruct many magical children the subtle art of potions making. Unfortunately most of his students were intimidated by his demanding personality and so he was the most hated teacher in the school.  
  
One day during a very tense potions lesson, the classroom door slammed open to reveal the menacing figure of Lucius Malfoy. Lucius glided menacingly towards the Potions Master. "Why has my son received a lower grade than that mudblood Granger?" Demanded Malfoy. Hermione Granger flinched in her seat while Draco Malfoy simply looked up smugly towards his teacher. "Her work is at a consistently higher standard than his" said Severus as he turned back to the class. Malfoy Senior glared at his former friend while pulling his wand from within his cane and uttered a curse at Severus' back. Severus spun to face Malfoy who was now laughing loudly. "The next time one of your student's cauldrons explodes you will be cut by one of the shards and will die." The whole class gasped as Lucius Malfoy sauntered out the door. "CLASS DISMISSED!" bellowed Snape. As the shocked students filed out of the classroom Hermione looked back sadly at her professor. Outside the door the students were joking loudly about how soon they could be rid of "The Greasy Git" until Hermione yelled, "How can you be so cruel? He may have treated us unfairly but he never wished us dead! You are all behaving worse than he ever has!"  
  
The whole group glared at her before wondering off muttering about "the know-it-all defending the great bat" Hermione turned back towards the classroom door to see her professor looking shocked. But before she had the chance to talk to him he spun around and slammed the door shut. Hermione sighed loudly and started the trek to the great hall for what would be a very lonely lunch, all the time worrying about Severus Snape.  
  
Hermione Granger had always defended others. She stood up for her friends when others abandoned them or mistreated them and had even fought to free house elves from their servitude, but this was different. She had always respected Professor Snape, always defended him when her friends called him names or accused him of being a traitor, but now she wondered if she felt more for him than just respect.  
  
Unknown to Hermione, her professor was at the very same time being watched by three quietly conversing figures as he walked towards his office. When he sat his desk the figures approached him. Severus looked up to see three ghosts standing in front of him. The first ghost floated further forward "I am Salazar Slytherin and these ladies are Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. We are guardians of those who dwell within these castle walls." Severus simply stared at the three so Rowena continued "Unfortunately we could not completely remove the curse placed on you but we did change it somewhat. When the accident occurs you will still be cut by the shards but instead of dying you will simply fall asleep, until being awakened by love's first kiss." Upon hearing this Severus yelled at the three founders before him "You may as well not have changed it at all! Who would love me?" Looking from face to face he was greeted by three smiles before the spirits disappeared. "Do not worry, all will be well" Helga replied before vanishing.  
  
During the next seventh year potions class Severus noticed that Hermione was still being ignored by her friends but did not comment before beginning the class. "Today you will be brewing a pain relieving potion. Those that are brewed correctly will be used in the hospital wing so I suggest you pay attention so that you do not poison yourselves later." The class quickly began to work on their potions as Severus started wondering through the observing each students work. The class had been going well until forty minutes in when Neville's cauldron began to overflow Hermione was trying desperately to fix the problem when the cauldron exploded, covering the pair and their professor with the potion. Looking up at her teacher Hermione watched in horror as he collapsed to the floor. With tears in her eyes she ran around the desk to her fallen teacher. She reached a trembling hand to his neck and sobbed with relief when she realised he was still alive. With the eyes of the entire class on her she levitated Snape to the hospital wing.  
  
Her eyes filled with tears, she ran faster than she had ever run before. Down and along corridors, up stairs and around bends she ran, her speed rivalling that of the fastest broomstick, her heart hammering in her chest. "Madam Pomfrey!" the girl screamed as she ran into the hospital wing, panting with the exertion of using so much magic and running so fast. The middle aged witch ran from her office, taking in the scene with a horrified gasp as she raced to the girl's side, moving the professor gently to a bed. Hermione slumped to the floor, weeping openly. "What happened girl?" "The curse! Lucius Malfoy cursed him, when the next cauldron broke, he said Professor Snape would be cut by a shard and die." her voice left her, and she resumed her sobs of grief. "Hush, Hermione, he's still alive. Malfoy mustn't be as strong as he believes." Hermione fell silent, tearstained eyes staring hopefully at the still form of the much loathed teacher. The Mediwitch pulled the curtains around the professors bed closed leaving Hermione to stare at the wall of white fabric while she waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish examining Snape. The minutes seemed like hours to Hermione but eventually the Mediwitch emerged from behind the curtain with a pained expression on her face. "I must contact the headmaster." With a flutter of ivory robes, she hurried into her office, the final year student racing after her. With a flick of her wrist, and some well spoken words, the head of Professor Dumbledore emerged in her fireplace. "Poppy, my dear, what an unexpected surprise. is something the matter?" He had caught sight of the pale, shaking student over the mediwitch's shoulder, and his voice wavered slightly in concern. "Albus, I need you to come here immediately. There's been. there's trouble." Nodding, the head disappeared. In minutes, he was in her office. It was likely the fastest he'd ever travelled.  
  
"Poppy, what is going on here?" He looked over at Hermione, sitting silently curled in a chair, her arms wrapped around her knees as she cried softly. "Malfoy senior has cursed your potions Master, Albus." The twinkle vanished from his eyes, for a moment, nothing but pure fury etched his feature, disappearing so swiftly and expertly that it left the women wondering if they had even seen it. "What curse, Poppy?" His voice was urgent. "I. according to Hermione, he cursed him so that the next time a cauldron broke in his classroom, it would cut him and he would die." "He's. he's dead?" "No, Albus, he's very much alive. That is why I needed your help. You see, he is still alive, but he appears to be sleeping. I can't wake him, but all the signs point to him being asleep. Is it possible that the curse somehow backfired?" Albus looked towards the curtain hiding Severus from his view. "I suppose the only way to tell you that, Poppy, would be my going over there and having a look." With a polite smile, he moved away from the women.  
  
The headmaster returned to find Madam Pomfrey trying to get Hermione to take some tea. Hermione looked towards the headmaster hoping that he would be able to help Snape but the look on his face convinced her that he knew as much as Madam Pomfrey. "Will he be alright?'" she asked knowing he would not be able to answer, but hoping all the same. "I do not know my dear. Unless we find a way to wake him." the sentence trailing as the three contemplated the future of the fallen professor.  
  
As the weeks passed there was no change in the professor's condition but one person had not given up hope. Every day Hermione Granger would visit the hospital wing to sit with Snape often bring flowers from the grounds for him. Her evenings were spent searching the library for a way to bring him back while her housemates were left wondering why she even wanted him to come back. As the days passed her search became more frenzied as she became more and more withdrawn from those around her, with graduation only a few days away she almost given up hope of him ever waking up. As she trudged into the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey Dashed past asking Hermione to watch him while she went to replenish her potions supplies, flinching when she thought about why she had to do it herself. Hermione sat silently for several minutes until the silence of the hospital wing became too much for her, letting the tears fall. She cried for the fact that he may never wake, cried for the fact that the students had been so heartless when hearing of his condition, cried out of frustration for not being able to help him and cried for the feelings she had for him. She had tried to deny it to herself for weeks but she could not deny it any longer. She was in love with him. Through her tears she laughed bitterly who would believe it? He was never really nice to her in fact he was horrible to her but she felt it just the same. When she thought about it they were really quite similar; both smart, dedicated to their work to the point of obsession, both stubborn know-it-alls and both disliked by most of the student population. "I failed you" she whispered as she continued to cry. "I couldn't find a way to bring you back. I graduate in a few days but I will not stop looking. I promise if there is a way to bring you back I will find it." As she watched him she whispered the three words she never thought she would say to him. "I love you" she said as she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. As she moved to sit down again she was amazed to see his eyelids flutter. She froze hoping that she wasn't imagining this. Finally he opened his eyes looking directly into Hermione's. "Thank you," he whispered as he pulled her in for another kiss.  
  
Unknown to the pair, three pairs of eyes watched them from the corner of the room. Three Hogwarts founders smiled to themselves. They knew the pair would have to face the students and staff, and that most would not approve but for know they were happy just to have each other. The rest they would face together.  
  
And They Lived Happily Ever After.  
  
The End  
  
A/N: This story came about after I read the wonderful entries for the WIKTT Sleeping Beauty Challenge. I decided to put a different spin on the Sleeping Beauty story that came to me one the bus so please review to let me know what you think. Loved it, hated it, think I need to be medicated, it doesn't matter what you have to say. I just want some feedback.  
  
Thanks to my lovely Beta Kat for all your help. 


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